Washington, D.C., Community Groups To Hold Meeting Focused On HIV/AIDS

Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Article Date: 16 Jan 2008 - 7:00 PDT

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Community groups in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday are scheduled to hold a meeting that will focus on methods of curbing the spread of HIV in the city, the AP/WJLA.com reports. The meeting -- which will be held at the Luther Place Memorial Church -- will include leaders from political, religious and social groups. District officials have said that the city has the highest HIV/AIDS rate among major U.S. cities, according to the AP/WJLA.com (AP/WJLA.com, 1/14).

A report released in November 2007 found that almost 12,500 district residents were known to be living with HIV/AIDS in 2006. Thirty-seven percent of HIV cases were transmitted through heterosexual contact, compared with 25% that were transmitted among men who have sex with men. The city's cumulative number of AIDS cases is more than 17,400. More than two-thirds of AIDS cases in the district during the past 10 years were among people who progressed to AIDS within one year of being diagnosed with HIV, compared with 39% of AIDS cases nationwide, the report found. The report also found that more people ages 40 to 49 were being diagnosed with HIV than any other age group. In addition, all of the 36 children in the district who tested positive for HIV since 2002 contracted the virus during birth (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 11/27/07).

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